Tilikum Enraged

12,000 pound Killer whale Tilikum, snatched its trainer from the poolside platform, at SeaWorld in Orlando Florida. The whale thrashed around underwater with the woman in its jaw killing her in front of a terrified audience. This was the third time the animal has caused a human death. An alarm sounded, and audience members were removed from the stadium, and the park was closed immediately. It has not yet been confirmed whether the trainer, Dawn Brancheau died from the thrashing of the whale, or drowning. An audience member described the event as "Terrible. It's very difficult to see the image." Tilikum has been involved in the death of two previous animals, and so many are concerned that the whale should be relocated or put to rest. What would you do if you were in control?

Winter is for Snowboarding, Summer is for Ping-Pong?

This past saturday, I was in the car listening to the 720 WGN afternoon radio show host's take on the Olympics. He argued that the winter olympic games were much more appealing to him than those held in the Summer. While I'm sure his opinion may have been slightly biassed with the start of the Vancouver winter games this past week, his views were thought provoking. The summer games, (over simplifying) consist of: track and field, synchronized swimming, ping-pong and Badminton. While the winter games include skiing, snowboarding, hockey, and speed skating. The summer games are simply pathetic. Who wants to stay indoors to watch synchronized swimming during the summer? I want to be at the pool, at a barbeque, not in my living room watching table-tennis. During the winter, however, I could settle for some big air snowboarding competitions, and of course, the luge. The winter games aren't receiving the recognition they should be for their intensity and competitiveness. Which games do you prefer, summer or winter?

Referen-dumb

This past Tuesday residents of the New Trier township district rejected the $174 million plan. At school, I have been disappointed in the selfishness many students are expressing; that we (class of 2011) wouldn't personally benefit from this proposal. Whats truly problematic for the voters is how excessive this $174 million plan was. School planning and Management Magazine reported in 2009, that this plan would spend roughly $56,000 per student. With $56,000, I'd rather buy a brand new Mercedez-Benz E class. The construction for this project was a proposed $300 per Sq. foot. Naperville High school, built less than ten years ago, spent only $187 per Sq. foot on its construction. No way was this plan worth that kind of money. Many things in the plan were luxuries, rather than necessities. Underground parking? Is is that difficult to walk from your parking spot to the school in the chilly weather? This plan had no empathy for the tax payer either. Property taxes have rose while our house prices have decreased. This would continue to happen, as the plan would furtherly raise taxes. The board should revisit the plan, and create something more modest, a plan residents are able to afford.